Melissa Craig and Charity Parkerson Podcast

In July, I was kindly invited by Melissa Craig and Charity Parkerson to be a guest on their podcast. These two lovely ladies are best-selling authors, and their podcasts can be found at the link below. We discussed my rock fiction series, the need for research and accuracy in historical fiction, and the exciting changes in indie music and fiction. I also read an excerpt from Love Reign o’ver Me, the first book in the series. Through it all, we managed to laugh endlessly. Have a listen!

The Melissa Craig and Charity Parkerson Podcasts

Episode 68 with Anne-Marie Klein

Celebrate Rocktober at E-BookBuilders with rock fiction

This month, E-BookBuilder are celebrating Rocktober by featuring a variety of excerpts from rock fiction books and interviews with their authors. I was very kindly invited to participate and passages from the first two books of my Behind Blue Eyes series can be found at their website.

Love Reign o’er Me excerpt

Love Ain’t for Keeping excerpt

Bastille at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, Wednesday, September 25th, 2013

Bastille is a British band that I discovered through a friend who lives in the UK, where they have been successful for over a year now. Wednesday night, they made their Canadian debut at a Toronto club called The Phoenix. Like the iconic El Mocambo, the site of my parents’ first blind date in 1959, this rock hall also has special significance for me: it used to be the German Canadian Club Harmonie, where my family went to cultural events when I was a child.

‘Overjoyed’ gets played to an enthralled crowd.

One of the reasons I was so excited was that the capacity of the club is only 1 100 people. In the past, I have seen the Classic Albums Live series at this intimate venue, and loved watching and hearing the re-creation of old rock masterpieces from the upper deck, where you can lounge on the leather sofas next to your own bar service. Wednesday night, we drifted upstairs to the familiar space, content to let the under-30s stand below like crowded, excited sardines while we took it in from above. We missed most of the opening set by Nightmare and the Cat due to a long line-up and identity card checks, as this all-ages event meant separating the patrons into a licensed bar area and a general section. We did catch all of the second act, Little Daylight, who were a dreamy mix of the Eurythmics and Kate Bush. They are the perfect tour support for Bastille, who also evoke the 80s in a slightly different manner.

Another photo of Dan Smith singing ‘Overjoyed’.

My concert experiences this year have largely consisted of classic rock artists knocked off the bucket list, but I’ve also found myself listening to and seeing contemporary acts. There are two major trends in music at the moment: the folksy songwriter revival led by Mumford & Sons, Frank Turner, and The Lumineers, and the return of the 80s sound epitomised by Bastille and Chvrches. Bastille’s magnificent album ‘Bad Blood’ reminds me of Depeche Mode with its driving electronica beat but also brings to mind the aching melancholy of early Tears For Fears lyrics. I was delighted that we would get to hear most of the songs from this debut LP, and was only disappointed that the gem ‘Daniel in the Den’ was not included in the show.

Dan Smith plays the beautiful ‘Oblivion’.

How to describe the actual concert? The intro risked being the highlight as the band came on to ‘Falling’, the instrumental theme to the 1991 television show Twin Peaks. The few of us born before 1975 in the audience laughed loudly at the tribute to the inspiration behind their hit ‘Laura Palmer’, although it mystified the younger people around us. Lead singer Dan Smith seemed thrown off at times by the hordes of screaming girls, and I have to admit I was too, because this is not teenybopper music. He was good natured about the gifts of clothing thrown onstage, and was very gracious and grateful for the warm reception given the band over the course of the performance. His voice was as angelic during ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Overjoyed’ as it is on record, and the power of his range was remarkable during the faster, more intense numbers such as ‘Pompeii’ and ‘Laura Palmer’. There were great moments throughout the hour and a quarter set: ‘The Things We Lost in the Fire’ had a ‘Radio Gaga’ moment when all hands went up to a rhythmic clap that looked incredible from the balcony, and ‘Flaws’ sent Dan Smith into the audience for an intimate victory lap that would have brought him up the stairs to us had his cord extended just a few more feet. He stopped mid-way to wave, then turned back around and continued among the throng of surprised but delighted fans. I had two recurring musical observations of this band, both of which were positive: the first was the consistent use of bass drums, banged about with a single stick by one or more members of the band simultaneously to create that loud, urgent beat during some of the faster songs, and the other was the one-handed keyboard playing by Dan Smith while he held his microphone with the other. The lead singer of Little Daylight did the same thing, and it occurred to me I had never seen that before in person.

Very few cellphones are on as the band plays to a sold-out crowd.

At the end of the night, I knew I had witnessed some early magic. This is a band going places, and I predict they will be huge a year from now if they stay on this path and there is any justice in the musical world. They were on Jimmy Kimmel Live just two nights ago, and seem poised to leave their mark on this side of the pond. Musically, they have produced what I think is one of the best albums of the year, with a perfect balance of high energy anthems and powerful ballads. On stage, they reproduce their songs with competence and confidence, and manage to take everyone along for a fun ride. I don’t remember bouncing up and down like that since the Mumford & Sons Gentlemen of the Road weekend in August. It also doesn’t hurt that lead singer Dan Smith bears a slight resemblance to Clive Owen in terms of visual appeal. If I’m right about their rise to the top, this might be an echo of that night in 1979 when I was 16 and saw this new British band called The Police at the Danforth City Music Hall…

‘Pompeii’ is one of three encores that gets the whole crowd jumping and singing.

Walk Off the Earth at the CNE Bandshell, August 30th, 2013

Walk Off the Earth is red hot right now, a quirky band from Burlington, Ontario with an indie rock style rooted in reggae and ska among other influences. They developed a huge following on Youtube with covers of other artists as well as producing their own music, and are probably best known for their magnificent single-guitar version of Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’. Like their Canadian predecessors Moxy Fruvous and the Barenaked Ladies (who were discovered by the Youtube of their day, the booth at Speakers’ Corner on Queen Street West), theirs is a fun, infectious sound that has a foundation of solid musicianship and skill underneath it all.

Last night, the group played the CNE Bandshell in Toronto to a huge crowd that braved the unsettled weather and listened to the show in the rain. It mattered little to those there that they got poured on, because the show was that good. They played songs from their 2013 release, R. E. V. O. , and reproduced their trademark Youtube instrument throwing and catching on the live stage.

There were many highlights for me, including the Gotye cover, faithful to its one-guitar, and the last song of the main set, “Summer Vibe”, a catchy warm weather anthem which saw the stage overrun when all members of their entourage joined them.

The laidback ambience of an intimate beach party on display necessitated a crowd sing-along and succeeded with the passing of overhead oversized balls and happy bodies that bounced along despite the downpour.

What made the concert such a standout in a summer of fantastic live gigs? If I had to narrow it down to one thing, it would be this band’s ability to deeply connect with their audience. They are accomplished, versatile musicians and it is obvious that they love what they do together. Beyond that, the theatrics of their instrument tosses and high-energy, frenetic stage movements can’t help but lift the mood of those watching and listening. The steam cannons and confetti streams add to the party atmosphere when they are dispensed, and the light show made good use of different bursts of colours.

There were frequent calls to sing along to parts of the songs, and the offers were readily accepted. As well, the band stepped off the stage at one point to take a group photo below with the huge crowd behind them. This is a band that intuitively understands something I first saw in Freddie Mercury back in 1977: it is the idea that nothing matters if you don’t make the audience feel attached to you and allow them to become part of your performance. Much like watching Queen, you got the sense that this group enjoyed themselves immensely, were grateful for their good fortune, and happy to be taking everyone who had turned up along for a great ride. I can’t even imagine how much better this show would have been on a warm and dry summer night, because the capacity crowd that pumped their fists, clapped their hands, and danced in the rain last night seemed not to care in the slightest that they were getting soaked throughout the set. It was all forgotten in the way only a genuinely enthusiastic and massively talented group can make that happen. I can’t wait to see them again, although I suspect the treat of being up close and in such intimate surroundings will not happen again as their star rises rapidly.

All photos from last night’s concert are courtesy of Austin Ziegler, and the full set can be viewed here.

The Gentlemen of the Road Stopover- Simcoe, Ontario, August 23rd and 24th, 2013

In 2011, Mumford & Sons were the first band that I truly got excited about listening to since Coldplay in 1999 and before that, U2 in 1983. I lucked out in getting tickets to see them at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre in October of my discovery year, and I was hooked after their performance. Their blend of foot-stomping, sing-along tunes and the often dark and melancholy lyrics of their debut album “Sigh No More” got under my skin, and my love affair continued with the release of “Babel” last year.

The passport pages.

The band started to play live again this year, with a series of concerts in small towns across North America that featured many other groups they were inspired by and felt a kinship with. Last week, they brought their Gentlemen of the Road Stopover to the small Ontario town of Simcoe, close to Lake Erie. The idea is to bring the shows to areas that have experienced economic difficulties with the hopes of leaving a legacy behind so that the towns can benefit from a tourist boost after the festival event. Simcoe, once a rich tobacco farming community, has been hard hit by cultural changes, and was delighted to play host to the group of musical artists that came to town.

The entrance gates to the Simcoe Fairgrounds in Norfolk County, Ontario, as the crowds leave after the two-day festival.

The full festival line-up.

We drove down on Friday afternoon, and despite the long journey hampered by the afternoon cottage and commuter rush-hour traffic out of Toronto, we managed to hear Phosphorescent, Dan Mangan, and headliners Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was the last band that we were especially interested in, but found all the acts worthy of a serious listen. As well, the Simcoe Fairgrounds provided a visual feast for the senses: food trucks offered pizza, tacos and burritos, along with English pub fair, poutine, and the more traditional ribs and burgers. The bar was generous, and we were delighted to see a fresh water station for patrons to refill their bottles at no charge. The portable toilets were clean and plentiful, although they could have facilitated the flow of patrons with distinct entry and exit points. There was plenty of room to wander around away from the main stage, and people were polite and friendly throughout. One of the cute gimmicks was the GOTR passport, which you could get stamped with band and concession logos if you spotted the volunteers who had them; it was also possible to line up at the stamping stations, which gave you time in line to socialise and meet others. Those we spoke to ranged from just nearby to as far away as Australia, and it was great fun chatting with them and comparing notes on crowd favourites. On the way to and from the venue, pianos had been left in the pedestrian zones for people to tinker with, and it was a whimsical detail that appealed to me as we walked by.

One of the pianos along the way, ready for play.

I also loved the Strong Arm meeting point, which was announced as the place “to find the boyfriend or girlfriend you did not intentionally mean to lose.”

The Strong Arm at night.

Saturday was a more crowded, hot weather day. The sun shone where the clouds had covered the Friday skies, and it was sometimes uncomfortable struggling through clusters of people, or waiting over an hour at the food truck lineups for a meal. However, the same friendly atmosphere prevailed and people continued to show considerate, polite, and patient behaviour. The crowd was more diverse in age, with families and older adults present along with the twenty-something hipsters and hippies that had largely comprised the Friday audience. We missed the first three acts of the day (Bear’s Den, Justin Townes Earle, The Vaccines) due to our commute from Toronto, but caught Hey Rosetta!, Old Crow Medicine Show, and the headlining Mumford & Sons, who were scheduled at sundown. We liked Hey Rosetta!, but it was the last two bands that really left a lasting impression. Both had the audience stomping, clapping, dancing, and singing along to so many of their numbers.

For me, though, as a Mumford & Sons fan, they were the band I came to see. They delivered almost two hours of non-stop music from their two albums, and I loved the string of patio lights that ran from over the top of the stage to the sound board, creating a backyard atmosphere for those who had come to party with them. And most were doing just that, singing to every word of every song as they danced and made celebratory noise for the length of the set. There was a moment for the flicking of lighters, and another instance of quiet listening as the second encore brought an acoustic version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire”, and then an acapella rendition of “Sister.” The grand finale was a touching tribute to local boy Rick Danko of The Band, and all the performing bands from the festival came out to join Mumford & Sons for a fantastic cover of “The Weight.” Marcus Mumford shared his lead vocals with Dan Mangan and others, and the audience of 35 000 strong cheered loudly in appreciation of the two-day event after they were through.

All in all, beyond the spectacular musical performances, I will remember this weekend for the camaraderie between the festival-goers, as well as for the gentle ambience that permeated the venue for those who attended, worked, or volunteered their services. The town of Simcoe worked very hard and were excellent, well-organised, and friendly hosts, and the fans well-behaved and kind to one another. Spending the time listening to all these bands made me realise that we have entered a new golden age of singer-songwriters, and that the folk rock scene is rich, diverse, and thriving. Long may these musicians continue to do what they love, so that we can see and hear them for years to come.